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TEA Press
Releases |
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February 14, 2008 - Leadership Skills
for Supervisors & Managers Hosted by The Employers’ Association December 11, 2007 - Creating a Community Solution for
Recruitment & Retention September 17, 2007 - The Employers’ Association Offers Leadership
Programs for the Health Care Industry September 13, 2007 - Best Practices in Customer Services Hosted
by The Employers’ Association September 12, 2007 - The Employers’ Association’s Professional Staff
to Speak at Several Upcoming GR Events August 30, 2007 - The Employers’ Association to Host an
Open House May 17, 2007 - The Employers’ Association Receives SHRM/HRCI Approved
Provider Status for Training Programs March 6, 2007 – The Employers’ Association Partners with Management Solutions
Group, Inc. to offer Public Training for Quality & Management Systems December 21, 2006 – The Employers’ Association’s
Strategic HR Institute Program Receives HRCI Credits November 20, 2006 – Webinars: At Your Desk Learning September 28, 2006 – Get Energized, Get Futurized and Take Flight at the TEA/HRG HR
Conference September 6, 2006 – Executive Symposium: “Bridges to Future Markets: Strengthening Presence, Products and
People” |
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Leadership Skills for Supervisors & Managers Hosted by The
Employers’ Association February 14, 2008, Grand Rapids, Mich. – One of the surest ways to bring about
change, meet the challenges of the future and continue to promote ongoing
creativity and innovation is to invest in your talent. New supervisors have only one chance to make a strong, credible first
impression on their direct reports. The
Employers’ Association is hosting a one-day event, Leadership Skills for
Supervisors and Managers on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at
Haworth Inn and Conference Center at Hope College. This comprehensive seminar has been
designed to provide essential skills critical to every new manager or
supervisor. Topics to be discussed
include: Coping with the challenges of
leadership, successful employee selection techniques, employment law and
compliance, creating great working relationships and managing performance. For more information about this program, visit www.teagr.org, call TEA’s Educational
Services at 616.698.1167 or email wdeshone@teagr.org. |
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Creating a Community Solution for Recruitment & Retention December 11, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – As West Michigan grows
and evolves through the development of the health care, life sciences, biomed
and diversified manufacturing arenas we are all looking to create a community
where we can recruit and retain the best employees with the highest skill
sets and keep them here. It is not
only important to bring these people to our community but to figure out how
we can help them to stay here, to blend their cultures with the cultures of
existing employers, community and the region and to lead happy fulfilling
lives. In order to do this, our region must offer
experiences and services that are of a diversified nature. By cultivating the spiritual, athletic,
epicurean, big city and neighborhood cultures we can offer a community that
is engaging to both the native West Michigan citizens as well to those who
have been transplanted into our home. With these thoughts in mind, The Employers’
Association together with the Human Resource Group of Grand Rapids have
created a very thoughtful and exciting Human
Resource Conference on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 that will celebrate the
ways in which innovative and successful organizations attract and retain
talent while helping to make the community a multifaceted interface with its
workforce and their families. Featured
speaker, Birgit Klohs, President of The Right
Place, will give us her thoughts on “The Real People Side of Recruitment and
Retention” and we will have best practice panels from community leaders and
HR practitioners to help create the most desirable place to live and work
going forward. For more information, contact TEA’s Educational
Services at 616.698.1167 or visit www.teagr.org. |
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The Employers’ Association Offers Leadership Programs for the
Health Care Industry September 17, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – With the changing face of West
Michigan and the development of exciting initiatives and organizations that
cater to the health care industry, The Employers' Association is pleased to
announce two new programs that support this community direction. Both of these new educational programs
support leadership and supervision of health service organizations, offices
and practices. Leadership Skills for Health Care Supervisors
held on Wednesday October 31, 2007 and Becoming a Change Agent in the
Health Services Arena on Thursday, November 1, 2007, are aimed at developing strong leadership skills to handle
the changing nature of the business. For more information about these or other
programs, contact TEA’s Educational Services at 616.698.1167 or
wdeshone@teagr.org. |
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Best Practices in Customer Service Hosted by The
Employers’ Association September 13, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – Customer Service Week is
an international event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer
service and honoring the people on the front lines of the service
revolution. The Employers’ Association
is hosting a Best Practices in Customer Service program on Friday,
October 5, 2007 during National Customer Service week. There will be a panel discussion on what
area organizations are doing to make their customers feel important. Carroll Velie,
Vice President Human Resources at Varnum Riddering Law will talk about their Good to Great
initiative and Louise Youtz, Director Human Resouces at Network 180 will talk about the customer
survey they conducted and what initiatives the answers prompted them to
implement. Also, hear from Scott
Thompson, Customer Service Supervisor at Padnos on
what he has done in the area of creating a customer-focused workforce where
every employee is focused on excellence. For more information about this program, contact
TEA’s Educational Services at 616.698.1167 or wdeshone@teagr.org. |
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The Employers’ Association’s Professional Staff to Speak at Several
Upcoming GR Events September 12, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Employers’ Association,
a not-for-profit Human Resource support organization since 1939, has several
scheduled speaking engagements for their professional staff: Dave Smith, CAE, President & CEO, will be speaking on
the topic of Leading & Motivating a Multigenerational Workforce at
the International Association of Operative Millers Wolverine, Niagara, and
Ohio Valley Districts 2007 Fall Meeting and Technical Conference on Thursday,
September 13 held at the Amway Grand Plaza. Rob Strate, Director of Human
Resource Services, will be speaking on the topic of How to Interview
at a Career Employment Counseling Workshop held at the Michigan Athletic Club
on Wednesday, September 12. Rob is also scheduled to speak on the topic of
HR Basics, From Hiring to Firing at the Priority Health Academy held at
the GVSU Eberhard Center on Thursday, October 18. Maggie McPhee, Director of Information
Services, will be speaking on the topic of Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA) Issue Solving on behalf of the Ionia County Economic Alliance on Thursday,
October 18 held at the Ionia Montcalm Community College Satellite Site on
East Tuttle Road, Ionia. Ellen Levey, Director of Educational
Services, will be speaking on the topic of Planning for Innovation at
the SME Great Lakes 2007 Conference and Exposition on Wednesday, September
19 held at the DeVos Place. Lynne Goede, Manager or Membership
Development, will be speaking on the topic of Using Your TEA Membership to
Solve Your HR Issues for the Jenison Chamber of Commerce on Thursday,
November 15. Lynne will also be representing The Employer’s
Association in the Holland Chamber of Commerce Business to Business Showcase
on Tuesday, October 16 as well as the SME Great Lakes 2007 Exposition
on September 18 – 20. |
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Health Care Cost Looking at Slight Increase September 6 2007, Grand Rapids, MI –Increases in Health Care Costs
are averaging approximately 5 – 7% overall.
This is according to a recent survey conducted of by The Employers’
Association (TEA) and the Alliance for Health – Business Group on Health of
Grand Rapids. Data collected over the spring from 233 companies
shows a smaller increase of 5% - 7% in the trend of ever increasing health
care costs. Compared to last year’s
minimal change, these results indicate that insurance companies are working
to contain costs as much as possible. Why the smaller increases? Companies are looking to rearrange the
features of their current plans and focusing more on enhancing the wellness
component of each plan. Also, plan
offerings have grown to include HRA’s and HSA’s with high deductibles which
have helped to contain costs. Companies are asking for more cost sharing from
plan participants as one cost containment strategy. The percent of cost sharing for just the
premium increased from 20% in 2006 to 23% in 2007 according the TEA/AFH survey. For more information contact Maggie McPhee at tea@teagr.org
or Lody at alliance@afh.org. TEA – The Employers’ Association is a
not-for-profit employers association serving 560 employers throughout West
Michigan. The Association delivers
solutions to today’s human resource challenges through it’s Information Resource Hotline, Training,
Employment and Consulting services. AFH – The Alliance for Health is a non-profit West Michigan organization bringing resources together to
perform and support health care resource planning, health education, and
health delivery systems information sharing, so that all people of West
Michigan will have optimal health and the most effective and efficient health
care services available. |
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The Employers’ Association to Host an Open House August 30, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Employers’
Association, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1939, is hosting a Valued
Partner Open House October 11, 2007 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at their
corporate offices on 5570 Executive Parkway.
Companies and organizations are invited to learn about free and
discounted human resource services offered by The Employers’
Association and our Valued Partners.
Hors d’oeuvres and beverages served.
RSVPs are requested by phone to Penny Mollica or Lynne Goede at 616-698-1167 or email pmollica@teagr.org or lgoede@teagr.org. |
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The Employers’ Association Receives SHRM/HRCI Approved Provider
Status for Training Programs May 17, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Employers Association
is proud to announce that is has been awarded the SHRM/HRCI Approved Provider
status for all of its HR-related courses effective immediately. This designation is in addition to TEA’s
existing articulation
agreement with Davenport University that grants university-level course
credit for learning and skills accomplished through corporate training and
development programs at the Association. The HRCI Approved-for-Credit program is designed
to encourage PHR, SPHR and GPHR certified professionals to continue their
ongoing education in human resources and to retain the PHR or SPHR
designation through recertification every three years. Having these pre-approved continuing
education courses eliminates the guesswork for recertification candidates
when planning their professional development activities and allows TEA to
provide qualified training programs to an audience of West Michigan certified
HR professionals. “With a collaboration of such magnitude between
the The Employers’ Association and the Society of
Human Resource Management, TEA is now able to offer both high level curricula
and recertification credits allowing us to continue to be the premier
authority in human resources for our membership and the community,” states
Ellen Levey, TEA’s Director of Organizational
Development. Each HR-related TEA training course will be given
an “Approved-for-Credit” seal on all marketing materials, training catalogs
and each class completion certificate.
For more information or a listing of qualified courses, please contact
Jennifer Johnson, TEA’s Educational Services Administrator at jjohnson@teagr.org or 616.698.1167. |
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The Employers’ Association Partners with Management Solutions Group,
Inc. to offer Public Training for Quality & Management Systems March 6, 2007, Grand Rapids, MI – Announcing a partnership
between The Employers’ Association (TEA) and Management Solutions Group (MSG)
to offer a full schedule of Quality, Environmental Management System, Project
Management and Lean Implementation Public Workshops. Instructors for these training workshops include
Eula Gaddis, Brandon Kerkstra, Linda Schoonerman, and Rocky Kimball from Management Solutions
Group, Inc. “It is exciting to be able to offer many of our
workshops to both TEA membership and the public at TEA’s excellent facilities
on a regular schedule,” states Brandon Kerkstra,
President of Management Solutions Group, Inc.
“Many companies are looking for a cost effective way to train their
staff. As a supplement to TEA’s proven Leadership Training, this partnership
provides a great opportunity for local employers to access a single source
for many of their training needs.” The Employers’ Association was founded in 1939 to provide
Human Resource Solutions, Wage/Salary Information, Training, Employment
Assistance and HR Project Consultation to the employer community. Management Solutions Group, Inc. was
founded in 1998 to assist companies in the pursuit of an
effective registered / certified management systems to international
standards such as QS-9000, ISO 9000, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14000, as well as good
management techniques such as Lean Manufacturing, Project Planning and
Launch, Business Planning and a variety of related tools. Working together the groups seek to
strengthen the West Michigan economy by making employers more efficient,
competitive and profitable. For more information and a schedule of these
programs, visit TEA’s website, www.teagr.org, or contact
Jennifer Johnson at 616.698.1167. |
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The Employers’ Association’s Strategic HR Institute Program
Receives HRCI Credits December 21, 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Employers Association
is pleased to announce the approval of Strategic HRCI credits from the
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for their new program debuting
in January entitled; Strategic HR Institute.
This certificate program is open to seasoned HR practitioners or those HR
professionals who have completed the Level II HR Certificate course through
TEA. This six-module program begins on January 18, 2007 and runs
through June 2007. The focus of the Institute is to give human resource
practitioners a thorough grounding in strategic business practices that
affect organizations. Some of the topics to be covered are: strategy and
tactical management, finance, sales, marketing and operations. For more information and registration visit www.teagr.org, Educational Services,
Certificate Programs or email jjohnson@teagr.org. |
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Webinars: At Your Desk
Learning November 20, 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. – With the advent of technology
allowing us to have any information we want delivered to our desks in a split
second, educational organizations are now using the computer to deliver
learning sessions via webinars to participants all across the globe. TEA is excited to offer a schedule of one-hour
learning segments this winter that you or your employees can attend from the
convenience of your facilities. These sessions are meant to share information
on a variety of topics that will support your business. You can utilize a webinar as part of a
group meeting or training session. Some of the webinars will include interactive
audio while others will be more of a lecture based information session. Participants will be able to give feedback
during these sessions and the facilitator can share those results with the
webinar group. For a schedule of TEA’s webinars, go to www.teagr.org
and click on webinars under Educational Services or contact our Educational
Services Department at 616-698-1167. |
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Get Energized, Get Futurized and Take
Flight at the TEA/HRG Human Resource Conference September 28, 2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. – As the nature of business
continues to change, offering a variety of surprises, HR practitioners may
find themselves using the same practices and services that have long been
adequate to shape and define our employees and business units. The term proactive
comes to mind more often than not when we want to reach for a more
innovative initiative or solution. The Employers’ Association (TEA) and the Human
Resource Group of Grand Rapids (HRG) are proud to offer a look into some of
the tools and practices that can lead us to new and unusual solutions for our
businesses and internal customers. “No
More Pigeon Holes: HR’s Flight to the
Future” affords us a peek into the future of employees and ideas through the
experiences and research of two energizing keynote speakers who will discuss
the topics of non-traditional solutions and journeys. Dr. Phil Gardner, Director of Collegiate
Employment Research Institute, MSU and Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President of
Ringling College of Art and Design will illustrate the reasons why we will
need to be more open-minded and expansive in our outlooks. Our breakout sessions will offer suggestions and
solutions on practices in West Michigan organizations that are innovative and
future reaching. Additionally, several thought leaders will share the latest
in thinking and services to assist us on our path. The place to get energized this Fall is at the
TEA/HRG Human Resources Conference on November 6, at The Prince Center at
Calvin College. Get Energized, Get Futurized, And Take Flight! For more information and registration visit www.teagr.org, Educational Services,
Upcoming Events. |
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Executive Symposium:
“Bridges to Future Markets: Strengthening
Presence, Products and People:” September 6,
2006, Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Employers Association is delighted to invite you to its second
annual business symposium geared to Executive Leadership. This year’s offering is the Executive
Symposium: “Bridges to Future Markets: Strengthening Presence, Products and
People.” We will focus on competitive marketing intelligence,
integrated communication and future channels that can assist organizations in
creating new opportunities and adapt to new challenges in the future. Topics such as spotting emerging threats
to businesses, utilizing the pace of change and learning what types of
organizations can adapt readily and those that can’t will be discussed within
this unique informational forum. We
have invited regionally and/or nationally recognized leaders in their
respective fields to spend time discussing the future, identifiable trends
and competitive pressures…and what they mean to our organizations. We expect engaging presentations leading to
executive-level networking through an unprecedented learning opportunity. As leaders of your own organizations we invite you
to come learn and share ideas on how to thrive in today’s business
environment. In order to grow, we must
continuously innovate and challenge traditional business practices. Out pace the
competition…Join us on September 27th
for our second Executive Symposium “Bridges to Future Markets: Strengthening Presence, Products and
People.” For more information and registration visit www.teagr.org, Educational Services, Upcoming
Events. |